Method and apparatus for making pencils



Nov. 22, 1927.

C. E. DANIELS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PENCILS Filed Nov. 15. 1926 INVENTOR 6'. E. firm zeZJ' ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cnannns,

E. DANIELS, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN ORAYON COMPANY, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01 OHIO.

Application filed November 13, 1926. Serial No. 148,154.

This invention relates to' an improved method and apparatus for making pencils, and has for its primary object to provide a novel method which may be expeditiously performed to accurately produce a pencil of the desired size and shape, and which method requires the use of apparatus of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

It is a more particular object of the mvention to provide such a method which consists essentially in exuding a pulp mass under pressure from a shaping nozzle and by means of such pressure upon the pulp mass simultaneously feeding through said nozzle at the same rate of speed as the mass is exuded therefrom a central lead or crayon core; and secondly, applying heat to the shaped pulp mass constituting the body of the pencil at the mouth of the shaping nozzle to thereby evaporate its moisture content and render the body of the pencil rigid and inflexible.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved method and apparatus of making pencils, and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts of the apparatus as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have disclosed one simple and practical embodiment of the apparatus, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a pencil making apparatus illustrating the essential features thereof;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4.4 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, as herein shown, I provide a pulp mass receiving cylinder 5 horizontally positioned and supported upon a suitable standard 6. Adjacent to one of its ends thiscylinder is provided with a feed hopper 7 and to the other end of said cylinder a conical or tapered shaping nozzle 8 is connected.

A reciprocating plunger 9 operates within the cylinder 5, and as herein shown, this plunger may be conveniently actuated by a worm screW'lO having threaded connection with the cylinder head 11 and provided upon 1ts outer end with a hand wheel 12 or other suitable means for rotating said screw. The lnner end of the feed screw 10 is suitably connected to the plunger 9 for free rotation relative thereto but against axial movement with respect to the plunger. Thus, it will be understood that as the screw 10 is rotated in one direction, the plunger 9 will be moved longltudinally in the cylinder to force the pulp mass indicated at 13 under pressure through the shaping nozzle 8 and from the outlet end thereof. This outlet end of said nozzle has a predetermined internal cross sectional form corresponding with the cross sectional shape of the pencil to be produced. It will be noted that the worm screw 10 has a longitudinally extending bore 14.

A tube 15 is axially positioned within the cylinder 5 and nozzle 8, said tube. at one of its ends terminating in spaced relation to the outlet end of said nozzle and adjacent thereto being supported by suitable webs 16 or other means connecting the tube with the wall of said nozzle. The other end of said tube extends loosely within the bore 14 of the feed screw 10. This tube is adapted to receive the pencillead indicated at 17 In spaced relation to the outlet end of the nozzle 8, a pair of parallel guide rods 18 are mounted in suitable supporting standards 19. A rod 20 having a recessed head 21 on one end thereof extends above and in parallel relation to the rod 18, said rod at its opposite end being provided with the divergently extending arms 22, each of which terminates in a sleeve 23 slidably engaged upon one of the rods 18. The end of the rod having the head 21 is also centrally provided with an axially extending socket 24 to receive one end of the lead 17.

A suitable heating device is associated with the outlet end of the nozzle 8. As herein shown, this device includes an outer cylindrical. chamber 25 having the lower s'ec tion of its wall provided with openings therein as at 26 and a chamber 27 below the same in which the gas burner 28 of any suitable type is adapted to be mounted. A second inner chamber 29 concentric with the cylindrical chamber has its wall perforated as at 30, and into one end of this 1nner chamber the outlet end of the shaping nozzle 8 projects, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The upper end of the standard 19 adjacent to the burner casing is provided with a sultably formed guide seat 31 to receiye and support the formed body of the pencll.

' In the operation of the apparatus above described, it will be understood that a lead 17 of suitable length is first positioned in the tube 15 and the rod 20 adjusted along the guide rods 18 so that the head 21 of said rod contacts with the outlet end of the nozzle 8, the end of the lead 17 being positioned in the socket 24. The worm screw 10 is then rotated and the plastic mass of paper or wood is forced under gradually increasing pressure through the nozzle 8. Owing to the restricted area of the outlet end portion of this nozzle beyond the web 16, the fibers of the pulp mass are very closely compacted whereby said mass is caused to bind tightly on the central lead core and is finally exuded from thenozzle in the cross sectional shape thereof and forced under pressure against the head 21 of the rod 20. The heat from the burner 28 rising into the chamber 29 instantly acts upon the exuded pulp mass to absorb the moisture content thereof and ren- ;der the same hard or rigid. This hardening action occurs progressively during the continued pressure against the body of the pulp mass within the cylinder 5 and as the pencil body is thus formed, the rod 20 is moved along the supporting guide rods 18 whereby the lead 17 is drawn from the tube 15 at the same rate of speed as the pulp mass is exuded from the outlet end of the shaping nozzle. When the head 21 of the rod 20 has moved beyond the upper end of standard 19 nearest the heater, the body of the pencil is slidably supported upon the seat 31 of said standard. The formed pencil may be cut oil in sections of the required length by any suitable means at a point adjacent the seat 31, and the rod 20 moved along the guides 18 to again engage the head 21 thereof with the end of the formed pencil. The above described operation is then continued until the entire mass of pulp in the cylinder 5 has been discharged therefrom.

From the above description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have devised a method and apparatus whereby the pencils may be accurately and expeditiously produced. It will be seen that the essential feature of this new method resides'in the continuous expulsion of the pulp mass in the desired shape and immediately evaporating the moisture content thereof so that the said mass is rendered hard and rigid whereby the pencil body will retain such shape. The apparatus herein referred to is of course, largely suggestive, since it is possible that the method of making the pencils might be carried by various other alternative forms of this apparatus. Accordingly, it is to be understood that in practice, I reserve the privilege ofr'esorting to all such legitimate changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the detail parts as may be fairly embodied withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making pencils (mmprisin'g a horizontally positioned pulp mass receiving cylinder, a shaping nozzle connected with one end of said cylinder to receivc the pulp mass therefrom, means for with one end of said cylinder to receive the pulp mass therefrom, means for supporting a lead core for axial movement through the shaping nozzle, means for exuding the pulp mass under pressure from said shaping nozzle, means actuated by the pulp mass as it is exuded from said nozzle for simultaneously feeding the lead core through the nozzle mouth at the same rate of speed as the pulp mass, and heating means surrounding the mouth of the shaping nozzle for applying heat to the shaped pulp mass progressively as it is exuded from the nozzle mouth.

3. The method of making pencils which consists in exuding a pulp mass under pressure from a shaping nozzle applying heat to the exuded pulp mass to evaporate the moisture content thereof, and utilizing the movement of the end of the mass to simultaneously feed a leadcore at the same rate of speed with the pulp mass through the shaping nozzle.

4. The method of making pencils which consists in exuding a pulp mass under pressure from a shaping nozzle progressively heating the shaped pulp mass as it leaves the mouth of the shaping nozzle to evaporate the moisture content thereof and utilizing the movement of the end of the mass to simultaneously feed a lead core at the same rate of speed with the pulp mass through the shaping nozzle.

5. The method of making pencils which consists in supporting a lead core for axial movement through the mouth of a shaping nozzle, exuding a, pulp mass under pressure mass to feed the lead core at the same rate from said shaping nozzle in a homogenously of speed as the pulp mass through the shapcompacted body enclosing said lead core proing nozzle. 10 gressively heating the shaped pulp mass at In testimony that I claim the foregoing 5 the mouth of the shaping nozzle to evaporate as my invention, I have signed my name the moisture content thereof and utilizing hereto. the movement of the shapedend of the pulp CHARLES E. DANIELS. 

